The formation of a united or federal Central Committee by the
Congress of Soviets and the Executive Committee of the Peasant
Congress is due to take place in the next few days. This
question is up for discussion and will be settled in a matter of
days. The petty squabble between the Socialist-Revolutionaries
and the Mensheviks over the forms in which the Central Committee
should be constituted deserves no attention whatsoever, for this
fight between two parties, both of which advocate defencism
(i.e., support for the predatory war) and ministerialism, i.e.,
support for the government of the counter-revolutionary
bourgeoisie, is much too petty.

The formation of a Central Committee is of vast importance as
the ultimate feature showing the distinction between the latest
political situation and previous ones. Typical of the new
political situation is the final establishment that most people
today follow the Socialist-Revolutionary and Menshevik parties,
which, as we know, form a bloc.

The All-Russia Peasant Congress and the All-Russia Congress of
Soviets of Soldiers’ and Workers’ Deputies, now in session, have
finally established, after the elections to the Petrograd
district councils, that the Socialist-Revolutionary and
Menshevik bloc is the ruling party in Russia.

That bloc admittedly has a majority now among the people. There
can be no doubt that it will also have a majority in the united
or federal Central Committee of Soviets (or the Council of
Soviets—no decision seems to have been taken on the name
so far) now being formed.

The Socialist-Revolutionaries and the Mensheviks are ruling and
responsible parties.

This is the fundamental fact about the new political
situation. Prior to the elections in Petrograd, and prior to
the
Peasant Congress and the Congress of Soviets, the Mensheviks and
the Socialist-Revolutionaries were in a position to take refuge,
at least with a hint of plausibility, in the argument that the
will of the majority was unknown, that the Cadets were probably
likewise close to the majority, and so on and so forth. But
these subterfuges cannot be used any longer. The fog which some
people artificially worked up has dispersed.

You have a majority, gentlemen of the Socialist-Revolutionary
and Menshevik parties, you are the ruling parties, or rather the
ruling bloc. You are responsible.

In propaganda and agitation in general, and in the Constituent
Assembly election campaign in particular, our chief task now is
to explain to the mass of the workers and peasants, as
carefully, efficiently and clearly as possible, that it is the
Socialist-Revolutionary and Menshevik parties, the ruling
parties, that are responsible for our country’s policy
today. The situation was different before, because they had not
yet revealed their majority as parties, and readily posed as an
“opposition” to the ruling Cadets. But now it is
beyond doubt that the Socialist-Revolutionaries and the
Mensheviks command a majority.

They are now responsible for the results of the six weeks’ rule
of the “coalition Ministry”.

They are responsible for the fact that most of the cabinet
Ministers represent the party of the counter-revolutionary
bourgeoisie. Everyone knows, sees and feels that these Ministers
could not have kept their posts for a single day with out
the consent of the Congress of Soviets and the All-Russia
Peasant Congress.

The Socialist-Revolutionaries and the Mensheviks are responsible
for the fundamental policy contradictions that are making
themselves felt more and more sharply and pain fully, and are
imposing themselves on the people more and more obviously.

In words, they “condemn” the predatory war, and
“demand” peace without annexations. In reality they
continue the predatory war in alliance with notorious predators,
the
imperialists of Britain, France, etc. In reality they are
preparing for an offensive at the instance of these allies, in
keeping with the secret predatory treaties which Nicholas II
concluded with a view to enriching the Russian landowners and
capitalists.

In reality their policy is one of annexation, i.e., the forcible
incorporation of nations (Albania, Greece) in one country
or one group of imperialists, a policy of annexation also
inside “revolutionary” Russia (which is,
however, following a counter-revolutionary course), and
treating Finland and the Ukraine as if they were annexed
nations and not really free, really equal nations having an
indisputable right both to autonomy and to secession.

In words, “the resistance of the capitalists has
apparently been broken”, as Peshekhonov, a Minister of the
bloc, boasted. In reality, even the resolution of the Congress
of Soviets had to admit that “the resistance of the
propertied classes [i.e., the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie,
who have 10 capitalist Ministers out of the 16 and are virtually
all-powerful in the country’s economy] is mounting”.

In words, they promise to establish control and regulation and
to take away 100 per cent of the profits (Minister Skobelev). In
reality, nothing of the sort has happened in six
weeks! Positively not a single effective and important step has
been taken against the capitalists who resort to lock outs,
against the profiteering marauders, the knights who capitalise
on war contracts, or the big bankers!!

Don’t let us go on listing these crying contradictions. We have
indicated enough.

Economic dislocation is getting worse. A crisis is
imminent. Disaster is drawing irresistibly near. The Mensheviks
and Socialist-Revolutionaries reason with the capitalists,
threatening to take away 100 per cent. They boast that the
capitalists’ resistance is broken, they draft resolutions and
make
plans, make plans and draft resolutions.

Disaster is on the way. The entire responsibility for
it will fall on the ruling Socialist-Revolutionary and Menshevik
bloc.